Showy clouds – photos close to home

It’s hard to imagine setting up a scene better than these clouds and fisherman. Captured while on a walk around Lake Junaluska. How fortunate the fisherman just happened to be there.

Clouds over Lake Junaluska, fisherman

This also reminds me of two things…

Which camera is best for shooting this scene? This was made with a 24mm lens on a Sony mirrorless camera; however, almost any camera would have worked. In truth, the best one is the one with us.

Nature provides. There was a time when I spent a lot of time going back to a particular place to photograph it at just the right time. And I think that’s still worthy of recognition. However, for me, I find the more worthwhile activity is to be there and capture what is happening at that moment. Often, the subject goes unidentified until later when I research those images worth publication. Yes, I do learn common subjects after a while but the greater proportion need identifying later.

On these clouds, I asked a friend and naturalist Don McGowan. His reply…

“This looks like the early stages of a mammatus formation, which is actually just forms sometimes as the underside of a cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus are associated with, but do not always indicate approaching storms, and do indicate unstable air in the top of the cloud.” Don runs workshops and photo tours in Western North Carolina. For a current listing of his programs click here.